Give a $100 a Day to Strangers?

Recently I posted a new blog on the Huffington Post about a Portland doctor who decided to give $100 to a stranger, every day for a month. Jill Ginsberg hoped her experiment in street philanthropy would help her rid herself of a persistent fear that she would somehow fall into poverty. In the process she learned a great deal about "neediness" and her own assumptions about the poor.

It's a great story, and you can read it here. 

Jill Ginsberg gives $100 to a stranger on a Portland bus. Bruce Ely photograph, The Oregonian.

Jill Ginsberg gives $100 to a stranger on a Portland bus. Bruce Ely photograph, The Oregonian.

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AuthorJan DeBlieu
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"I Don't Want Your Help"

True or False: If someone doesn’t want your help, you should leave him alone.

 “As a child raised in an alcoholic home,” the message began, “I never learned the correct response to certain situations. I would not ask for help, and if offered help would often decline, afraid of the person’s motives.”

The True/False question above, which I posted recently on my Facebook page, elicited some highly interesting responses. As expected, most people thought it was true. It’s a central tenant of Seva work: Never, ever force your help on someone. In fact, many aid workers argue, if your help is not openly welcomed, you should leave the person alone. Why put yourself out for someone who’s ungrateful or unlikely to accept what you do for him? In the worst situations, you’ll only encourage him to continue his destructive habits or behavior.

But then I received that private message from a friend whom I’ll call Grace, the child of alcoholic parents.

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Two Short Stories of Service

What would you do if you saw a barefoot homeless woman on a bitterly cold  winter night? 

My friend Estera lives in Seattle and takes the bus to work. A few days ago I received this email message from her:

“I have to tell you this while it’s fresh in my mind.  My bus goes by a women’s work-release group home.  As usual on this early-morning bus, several young women get on there and make their way to the back. They’re just behind me, talking about homeless people, I think, particularly about one woman downtown whose shoes are so small for her that she has to cut open the toes to make her feet fit in. They’re brainstorming who might have a pair of shoes that would fit so they can give them to her. Then one woman tells this story:

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What to Say When Someone Dies

I've been doing some blogging recently for the Huffington Post. My last blog entry discusses several odd experiences that Jeff and I had after we lost Reid. People would approach us, clearly wishing to give us solace--and then do or say something completely inappropriate. 

We didn't let the bereavement gaffs bother us too much. More than anything, I felt bad for the people who made them. So I decided to write something on the topic. You can find my column here:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jan-deblieu/what-to-say-when-someone-_b_5774422.html

You can find my other blog entires in the Huff Post simply by typing Jan DeBlieu into the Search bar.

Friends helped plant a garden at the crash site where Reid was killed--one of the kindest and most effective gestures anyone made.

Friends helped plant a garden at the crash site where Reid was killed--one of the kindest and most effective gestures anyone made.


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